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The University of Arizona’s “Il matrimonio segreto” Succeeds as Delightful Entertainment

Administrator — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 01:53:56 +0000

Gallery A of “Il matrimonio segreto”
Gallery B of “Il matrimonio segreto”

If an audience’s enthusiastic response to an opera performance can be taken as an indicator of a successful production, then the U of A’s Opera Theater presentation of Domenico Cimarosa’s 1792 opera buffa, Il matrimonio segreto can be considered as one of its best.

Cast 4/8 4/10
L to R: Asleif Willmer- Carolina • Katie Vanderhooning- Elisetta • Mackenzie Romriell- Fidalma • Greg Guenther- Count Robinson • Chris Herrera- Geronimo • Dennis Tamblyn- Paolino

This enthusiasm for Il matrimonio can be traced back to its premiere in 1792 at the court of Emperor Leopold 11 in Vienna. Leopold commissioned Cimarosa to write an Opera buffa and was so pleased with the results he requested a repeat performance the same evening- after a sumptuous dinner, of course.

The opera was an immediate hit with the public and up until the end of the 18th Century, it was performed over 70 times in Vienna alone.

Cast 4/9 4/11
L To R: Erika Burkhart- Carolina • Angeline Chairez- Elisetta • Seth Kershisnik- Count Robinson • Orquídea Guandique- Fidalma • Kyle Connor- Geronimo and Alan Stevens- Paolino

Fast forward to April, 2010, to the Opera Theater’s four performances at Crowder Hall where audiences discovered to their delight that Artistic Director Charles Roe and Musical Director Charles Bontrager had woven an aura of deja vu into their interpretation. They decided to execute the set and fit the costumes to an elegant acting style that seemed right out of what the production looked and sounded like in 1792.

In today’s operatic climate, with so many loony revisionists puncturing unrelated, chaotic holes into many operatic masterpieces, Roe and Bontrager came up with a radical idea; they opted for a traditional interpretation. It proved to be a very astute decision.

The curtain opened on Sally Day’s detailed set of an 18th Century house in Bologna, actually Geronimo’s spacious and elegantly furnished living room with two staircases on either side of the stage and a small loggia connecting the two. It was a good omen that the evening was going to be a very enjoyable one.

It appeared that Day and costumer Adam Dill worked together to foster a picture that showed unity, and, happily, good taste. The costumes Dill chose from Costume World Theatrical were a colorful spectrum of mostly browns and blues and were designed to fit the personalities of the performers. The different costume designs and colors for each singer in the two casts showed the Opera Theater’s commitment to Cimarosa’s opera.**

Well, what about the opera as a musical and comedy vehicle for audiences today? As stated in Grove Book of Opera, “The directness, exuberance, spontaneity, gracefulness and musical sincerity of this opera gave it an international appeal.” Roe and Bontager’s production was able to capture the essence of these qualities by sticking to the text as written, allowing the musical interpretation and the singing to speak Cimarosa’s musical language as clearly as he wrote it.

In Opera buffa, the notes on the page and how they are played can become a contest of artistic wills. Cimarosa’s measures are simply laid out, but the musical execution requires stamina, rhythmic vitality and an understanding of the style- without any of these, the show doesn’t fly. And for sure, Cimarosa’s music flies.

As Bontrager said to his orchestra at rehearsals, meeting the challenge of the many starts and stops in the musical phrases and the dexterity in the string fingering would be two artistic goals he hoped his players would reach.

The overture strikes at the heart of the opera. In Gordana Lazarevich’s comments in the New Grove Dictionary of Opera, we can see immediately why the overture plays such an important part in a production’s success.

“…in the Largo of the overture with three initial D major chords, the brilliant orchestration…not only provides a festive atmosphere but shows a melodic effusiveness and inventiveness full of verve, vitality and exuberance.”

On opening night on the 8th, Bontrager was able to lead his forces right into placing Il Matrimonio in a “festive atmosphere.” If there were some glitches in the strings, they did not tarnish the overall effect: an infectiously rhythmic and vibrant reading of Cimarosa’s well-designed overture, one of the best to be found in Opera buffa. What followed was all uphill.

For this Il Matrimonio production, Roe was able to put together two casts* who were evenly matched. Considering the casts were a mixture of graduate and undergraduate students with varying vocal and interpretative skills, the director made them shine in an opera that emphasizes ensembles more than individual arias. The detailed attention Roe and Bontrager gave to the trios, quartets and the ensemble that ended each act is what produced the audience’s hearty and joyful reaction to the work. Even in the duets, one could hear the pleasing and delicate harmonies that make Cimarosa’s opera the lively, droll work it is.

Individually, some performers were not able to achieve the vocal projection required, or showed some awkwardness in matching body and voice to the swift musical currents that Opera buffa thrives on. But when it came to putting their voices together, their vocals blended with ease, their bodies relaxing into Roe’s direction. Their enjoyment traveled over the footlights, picking up the audience on its way.

As the opera opens, we find that Carolina and Paolino have been secretly married and are very much concerned about how her father, Geronimo, will take the news. Both Cimarosa and his librettist Giovanni Bertati provided plenty of humor, both text-wise and musically for Geromino. As in many operas of this genre, the parental figure tries, but never succeeds in getting everyone to agree with him. Fortunately the production had two performers who presented very different, but very believable interpretations of Geronimo’s familial trials.

Chris Herrera’s Geronimo was befuddled and perplexed with his daughter Elisetta’s complaints about her arranged marriage to Count Robinson when she discovered the Count has an eye for her sister Carolina. Kyle Connor took a different approach. His Geronimo grew steadily annoyed and put upon by the Count’s lusting after his other daughter Carolina. In the end, Geronimo is forced to accept his social climbing ambitions are a bust. Herrera and Connor’s performances showed there is more than one way to play one of Cimarosa’s most endearing characters. Both singers gave good readings to the role’s vocal impersonations, with Herrera capturing the complete vocal range of the role.

Dennis Tamblyn and Alan Stevens as Paolino were a good match for their Carolinas, Asleif Willmer and Erika Burkhart. Tamblyn’s abundant stage experience showed up in his varied vocal dynamics and his easy acting style. Stevens’ somewhat hesitant portrayal did not hamper his clean vocals in expressing Cimarosa’s musical line. Willmer filled her Carolina with vocal humor and an acting manner that the audience took to immediately. Burkhart had the vocal goods for Carolina but seemed to be holding back on the music’s expression. Still her lovely rendition of Carolina’s short lament in Act Two proved she can manage quite well.

As Fidalma, Mackenzie Romriell showed the mezzo knows her way around this buffa style. Her understated vocals in portraying the maiden aunt’s thwarted amorous longings for Tamblyn’s Paolino made their scene together, where she confesses her love and he faints dead away at the shock of it all, into a delicious comedic moment for the pair. Orquídea Guandique’s Fidalma was somewhat under projected, but that did not hide her beautifully tuned vocal line.

Both Angeline Chairez and Katie Vanderhooning showed Elisetta’s spirited indignation concerning Robinson’s roving eye without losing the dignified restraints that permeated the production.

Filling out the cast were the aptly stuffy, slightly pompous readings of Seth Kershisnik and Greg Guenther’s as Count Robinson, the man responsible for the jittery reactions filling Geronimo’s household. Kershisnik’s vocal aplomb captured all of the Count’s devious amorous attempts throwing in some quirky dance moves. Guenther’s Count, as befitting the singer’s natural look, projected a boyish charm and a unforced vocal style that made the audience smile with approval.

The last time the Opera Theater performed Il Matrimonio, the production was in English. This time Roe opted for the original Italian. It was a great choice because the Italian text is a natural compliment to the score and certainly contributed to the overall success of the production. However, there were times during the performances when this listener wished Roe and Bontrager had had the cast spend more time working on the text.

As a participant in the Riddle Endowment for conducting with the Arizona Symphony Orchestra, Keitaro Harada was given the opportunity to conduct the April 11th performance. He showed the same attention to Cimarosa’s score and in helping the singers to best interpret it as Bontrager. In the overture, however, Harada emphasized the lower parts of the score, while Bontrager went for a lighter touch in the upper parts. It was a real pleasure to hear both versions; better yet, to experience such musical variety from a music school production was a rare treat.

Paolino: Dennis Tamblyn
Carolina: Asleif Willmer
Geronimo: Christopher Herrera
Fidalma: Mackenzie Romriell
Elisetta: Katie Vanderhooning
Count: Greg Guenther

Paolino: Alan Stevens
Carolina: Erika Burkhart
Geronimo: Kyle Conner
Fidalma: Orquídea Guandique
Elisetta: Angeline Chairez
Count: Seth Kershisnik

** This synopsis is from the The University of Arizona Opera Theater’s program.

Geronimo, a wealthy citizen of Bologna, has two daughters, Elisetta and the more attractive Carolina. His sister Fidalma keeps house for them. Carolina is secretly married to her father’s bookkeeper, Paolino, whose former employer, Count Robinson, arrives from England with the intention of marrying Elisetta. When he sees Carolina, however, he changes his mind and decides that he will marry her instead. Elisetta and Fidalma decide to send Carolina to a convent so that Elisetta can marry Robinson and her aunt can marry Paolino. The misunderstandings which develop are cleared up when Carolina and Paolino reveal their marriage. All is forgiven, and the Count agrees to marry Elisetta.

–Quaintance Eaton

Il Matrimonio Segreto Gallery A

Administrator — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 01:50:04 +0000

The following photos are courtesy of the University of Arizona Opera Theater. ©
Show dates: April 8th and April 10th, 2010

1. Tamblyn, Willmer
2.Willmer, Herrera
3.Willmer, Herrera, Vanderhooning, Romriell
4. Herrera, Vanderhooning, Romriell, Willmer
5.Romriell, Herrara, Vanderhooning, Willmer
6. Vanderhooning, Romriell, Willmer
7. Willmer, Romriell, Vanderhooning
8. Vanderhooning, Romriell
9. Willmer, Herrera
10. Willmer, Vanderhooning ,Romriell, Herrera, Guenther
11. Cast 4/10 4/12
21. Bontrager, U of A Symphony Orchestra

Il Matrimonio Segreto Gallery B

Administrator — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 01:49:47 +0000

The following photos are courtesy of the University of Arizona Opera Theater. ©
Show dates: April 9th and April 11th, 2010

1. Stevens, Burkhart
2. Burkhart, Stevens
3. Burkhart, Guandique, Chairez
4. Burkhart, Chairez, Guandique, Conner
5.Burkhart, Chairez, Conner, Guandique
6. Conner, Chairez, Guandique, Burkhart
7. Guandique, Burkhart, Chairez
8. Chairez, Guandique, Conner
9. Kershisnik, Stevens
10. Cast 411 4/13/10
19. Harada and The U of A Symphony Orchestra

Caroline Seebohm: “The Opera Star They Love to Hate”

Administrator — Fri, 07 May 2010 01:18:04 +0000

Janácek, Katya Kabanov

Administrator — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 23:12:59 +0000

The Kabanov Household

Leoš Janá?ek’s 1921 opera Katya Kabanova is based on the 1860 play The Storm by Alexander Ostrovsky, and the title of the source is a key element in its musical adaptation. Just as the storm is critical to Ostrovsky’s play, the tempest depicted at the beginning of the opera’s third act is one of the composer’s most powerful musical conceptions, and its presentation at Lyric Opera of Chicago is impressive for the way in which it brings together the various elements of this work. The drama, music, dialogue, and imagery must fuse well to make this scene intelligible, and the focus Markus Stenz gave this climactic scene conveyed the intensity of one of the composer’s most powerful stage works.

Karita Mattila seems perfectly suited to the role of Katya, a figure which she portrays as able to stand up to the verbal and emotional assaults of her domineering mother-in-law, Kabanicha, here portrayed by Judith Forst. As Katya, Mattila gave life to her character by expressing not only the powerful emotional outbursts that are essential to the first scene, but also the profound despair of the final part of the drama. Musically, Mattila gave an almost flawless performance, which required both a soaring upper register (for example, in the exchange with Varvara about the freedom of birds), as well as a clearly articulated lower register, most memorable in the storm scene. The latter passage, the almost unexpected confession, worked well in the speech rhythms which are at the core of vocal line in Janá?ek operas and Mattila allows her voice to suggest a kind of delirium, which leads her to blurt the name of her lover, and then the madness that possesses her in the final scene.

Mattila dominates the stage in the second half of the opera, a woman liberated from the oppressive household through her doomed quest for freedom in taking a lover. Already berated by the staid and demanding Kabanicha for deviating from convention, Varvara gives her the opportunity to react to her inner daimon without regard for the harm she should wreak upon Tichon and ultimately on his relationship with his mother. Mattila made Katya believable, not only vocally, but also through her acting. Her final moments remind one of expressionist drama, especially when Katya hears the Volga in the off-stage chorus, which emerges from the orchestra timbres just loudly enough. To this Katya responds almost dementedly, and at that point it is clear from Mattila’s interpretation of the role that Katya can neverreturn to conventional life in Kabanicha’s household.

As Katya’s foster sister Varvara, the Lithuanian-born mezzo Liora Grodnikaite gave an equally persuasive performance. Her command of the musical line was masterful, but it was her acting that made Varvara a foil for Katya. In the latter part of the first act, Katya even comments that it is unseemly for her to confide so much to Varvara, who is too young to understand such things, and it is a tribute to Liora Grodnikaite that she made Varvara seem believable in this way. The immaturity which prompts Varvara to entice Katya to indiscretion was clearly apparent in the acting: here Varvara urged Katya on, not only in the vocal exchange between the characters, but also by means of eye contact and body language.
Boris was sung by tenor Brandon Jovanovich, who worked well with Mattila in this production. While this part is more declamatory in the first act, it becomes increasingly lyrical in the second and in this regard Jovanovich’s Boris is extremely effective, especially in the demanding love duet at the end of the second act. His voice made the passionate outbursts believable, including the off-stage passages, where his voice blended beautifully with Mattila’s. As in love as Boris is with Katya, Jovanovich allows his character to display surprise when Mattila names him as her lover in the third act. In terms of drama, Boris must be uncomprehending when he confronts the tortured Katya in the final scene, and his portrayal conveyed every bit of that too.

Jovanovich (Boris) and Karita Mattila (Katya)

Katya’s husband Tichon was performed convincingly by Jason Collins. As the bullied son of Kabanicha, Tichon is a complex role, and Collins was able to suggest his frustration with his mother and his fascination for Katya very convincingly.

As Kabanicha, Judith Forst faced the challenge of her unrelenting character without resorting to histrionics. At times it was not easy to hear her, though that may be attributed to the acoustics of the set. The solid, four-square house of the first two acts seemed confining, and it may easily have trapped Forst’s voice. Kabanicha is not a pleasant character, but she must be believable and not a caricature : Forst did that well, with the declamatory style of Kabanicha contrasting with the soaring vocal depiction of Katya. Kabanicha also has the final lines of the opera, lines that heighten the tragic conclusion.

The character of Kudrjáš, Varvara’s lover, is not confined to the household at the core of this opera. Rather, he stands apart, always outside the house in which the Kabanovs live, and his music reinforces that sense of distance. Kudrjáš is the first voice heard in the opera, and it is he who tells Boris of the situation at the Kabanovs. Later, he plays a critical role in the love scene, since it is he that sings the music which signals to Katya and Boris that they must end their tryst. As Kudrjáš, Garrett Sorenson created an appealing character, and he gave the folksong passages in the score a distinctive style which set them apart from the other, more conventional music his character has when dealing with Varvara or Boris. Sorenson worked well with Grodnikaite in the second act too, especially the second scene when they set up the pivotal meeting between Boris and Katya.

In addition to the fine vocal performances, the orchestral sound was also outstanding with a fine interpretation of the score. Markus Stenz gave a sensitive reading, which resulted in a solid sound that never overshadowed the voices and was not overpowering even in the storm scene. In other passages, as in the opening of the final scene, Stenz was subtle and unobtrusive, and reliable when it came to bringing out Janá?ek’s distinctive colors. Stenz’s clear direction was palpable both in the pit and, at times, in the careful attention he gave to the principals on stage. Throughout the evening the full sound Stenz drew from the orchestra, combined with his sensitive interpretation and attention to the needs of the singers, made this a compelling performance.

It was a pleasure to see Katya Kabanova included in Lyric Opera of Chicago’s current season and featuring one of the finest singers available in the title role.



Rossini’s Zelmira  A Musical Revelation
Administrator — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 15:54:45 +0000
Photo to the left: Gregory Kunde as Antenore and Juan Diego Flórez as Ilo 
Act One Scene V11 © Amati Bacciardi. Official ROF photos.


Zelmira* was the last of nine operas Rossini composed for the San Carlo Opera House in Naples in 1822. It turned out to be his most adventurous musical drama of all of the composer’s opere serie for the theater. The proof was in the long-awaited critical edition of the score presented by the Rossini Opera Festival in 2009. The production also proved how difficult and challenging the demands are in mounting this opera filled with long musical sections composed in ever-changing rhythmic patterns presenting a darker vision of life than we are accustomed to in Rossini’s output.
There were some artistic choices that prevented the production from reaching the highest dramatic standards the festival wanted.  At the same time its artistic victories were more than enough to conquer its faults.  Such is the fascinating, see-sawed world of opera at ROF.
First, the layout of the hall at the Adriatic Arena was different in size from previous years. It seems the powers that be wanted to rearrange the performance space to what they thought would best suit the opera.  Not so this time.  The hall was very wide with only a few tiered rows in the back.  As a result, a great deal of the resonance was lost in such an open area.  To this viewer the hall resembled so many of the high school auditoriums in the United States that were designed primarily for assemblies, not for theatrical performances. The singers, however, deserve high praise for projecting a great deal of  dramatic energy over the footlights without loosing their vocal focus.



Flórez as Ilo  Act One Scene V © Amati Bacciardi. Official ROF photos.


At the August 9th prima, boos and whistles greeted Director Giorgio Barberio Corsetti, and, since he was also responsible for the scenic design along with Cristian Taraborrelli, it can be assumed that the reason for the intensity of the clamor included both nay-saying camps. 
Naturally, the critical attention a complicated opera production such as this Zelmira would get should come as no surprise, but the diversity of opinions from the many Italian newspapers and on-line reviews in both English and Italian certainly did.  Few reviews, however, were able to capture the kernel of truth of how this production would work in performance  better than John Allison in his review in The Sunday Telegraph on line from August 25th: 
“Giorgio Barberio Corsetti’s production mixes old symbols with new: ruined Classical statues lie in the sand while contemporary troops brandish machine guns. His set is dominated by a huge, tilting mirror that reveals disturbing images of victims of war under the grid of the stage. But his direction is indeed more about images than character development, which is damaging in such a long opera.” This low level of development in Corsetti’s direction resulted in making the performer’s emotional commitment to the work more arduous to convey.   
There also were grumblings from reviewers and audiences alike about the opera’s length which appeared to be an affront to personal comfort. For this opera goer the festival deserves to be congratulated for the superior editing of Kathleen Kuzmick Hansell and Helen Greenwald’s critical edition and for the artistic vision of Superintendent Gianfranco Mariotti and Artistic Director Alberto Zedda in giving us not only the original Naples edition, but the additional sections from Vienna in 1822, and the Paris version from 1826 which contained a revised Act Two finale for Giuditta Pasta.

Kate Aldrich as Zelmira Act One  Scena ultima © Amati Bacciardi. Official ROF photos.


And the last item on the debit side is Andrea Tottola’s libretto.  Just about every critic and scholar has lambasted Tottola for his inability to depict the sequence of events in the plot with any credibility. His attempts at creating exciting dramatic situations failed him when it came to Zelmira. To be fair, he did write cogent librettos for La Donna del Lago and Mosè in Egitto, and he supplied Rossini with exciting dramatic situations for his masterwork, Ermione. Whatever the relationship between Rossini and the librettist was during the time they worked on Zelmira, it didn’t seem to have any adverse effect on the composer’s ability to design an ambitious and uncommonly inventive score.
All this ambiguity, however, did not effect the outstanding musical preparation and delivery by conductor Roberto Abbado.  Gregory Kunde in his interview with livingattheopera.com on September 20th, summed up the conductors invaluable artistic contribution by saying, “…a lot of credit has to go to Roberto Abbado for shaping and molding such a great performance from all sides.”  One notable example of this was Abbado’s ability to open up the composer’s wistful music in the mid and lower voices in the strings and woodwinds of the Orchestra Del Teatro Comunale Di Bologna throughout the evening without losing sight of the rigorous vocal demands Rossini made on his singers. 
By the time Rossini sat down to compose Zelmira, two of his favorite tenors, Andrea Nozzari and Giovanni David, were seasoned performers at Teatro San Carlo during the composer’s time there. Perhaps that’s why he decided to write two of the most challenging roles in the tenor repertoire for them. Nozzari’s Antenore and David’s Ilo must have been exciting to hear from all accounts at that time. Of course, Rossini lovers haven’t had the opportunity to hear what they sounded like at Zelmira’s premiere, but I think the performances of Gregory Kunde as Antenore and Juan Diego Flórez as Ilo at ROF came very close to what audiences heard from Nozzari and David back then.



L to R Marianna Pizzolato as Emma, Aldrich, Mirco Palazzi as Leucippo, Kunde and Floréz  Finale Primo © Amati Bacciardi. Official ROF photos.
In Act One, both Ilo’s entrance aria, Terra amica and Antenore’s aria, Mentre qual fera ingorda have vocal leaps and descents that require not only dexterity, but astute dramatic interpretations that Rossini demanded for this work. All through the opera, Kunde and Flórez had to keep their voices flexible while handling all the “advanced  harmonic language and rhythmic schemes characteristic of Zelmira” as stated by Kuzmick Hansell in ROF’s Zelmira program.  Kunde interpreted Antenore with passion, jealousy, and a bit of treachery, and Flórez added bewilderment to Ilo’s heroic nature.  As they confronted each other in Act One, where Antenore’s voracious appetite for power contrasted with Ilo’s deceived warrior, their dramatic and vocal strengths gave them the wherewithal  to move beyond Corsetti’s languid character development. 
The hall, however, was not so kind to Flórez.  His voice didn’t seem to resonate with the vocal freedom that he displayed as Corradino in Matilde di Shabran and Rodrigo in Otello. It ought to be said that on the August 9th radio broadcast of the prima, his singing sounded closer to what we usually hear from him, in fact, the entire cast sounded better. 
Kate Aldrich was an interesting choice for Zelmira. The lyric mezzo was able to handle the character’s vocal range and since much of the role lies in the middle, she easily brought a warm expressive tone to her recitative and her duet with Marianna Pizzolato’s Emma. The cor anglais and harp accompaniment Rossini wrote for them is considered one of his best instrumental choices.  She maintained the same vocal composure in her duet with Flórez and gave a beautiful rendition of  “Da te spero, o ciel clemente,” the aria Rossini added for Pasta in the finale of Act Two.

Flórez, Aldrich and chorus  Finale Secondo © Amati Bacciardi. Official ROF photos.


Pizzolato’s Emma made a stalwart companion for Zelmira. The mezzo has  really matured vocally since her Tancredi at ROF in 2004. She brought warmth and a committed vocal line to “Ciel pietoso, ciel clemente” in her scena in Act Two.
Bass Mirco Palazzi projected a more solid stage presence to Leucippo than he did with Elmiro in Otello. He added vocal strength to all of Rossini’s ensembles that the composer featured so prominently in this opera. 
Bass Alex Esposito who gave a great dramatic and vocal reading as Fernando in La Gazza Ladra in 2007, proved again with Polidoro that he can interpret Rossini with vocal finesse and assured delivery of the text. Although his voice lacks the dark center that would have completed his interpretation, his artistic contribution to the second act duet with Flórez was outstanding. Both singers, in one of Rossini’s most beautiful duets written for tenor and bass, demonstrated great Rossinian singing. Their timing, elocution, and vocal production met head on the many changes of musical focus the composer threw their way. 
But it is in the finale to Act One, “Sí fausto momento” and in the Quintet “Ne’ lacci miei cadesti,” near the end of Act Two that we discover music which we never heard before from Rossini. In both pieces the composer eschews any remnant of crescendos bursting like fireworks that Rossinians have come to expect. Bruno Cagli, in his program notes for Zelmira deftly encapsulates what exciting musical territory Rossini has landscaped with this opera: “Rossini, in this last Neapolitan opera of his, has increased his love for violent contrasts, even if the general framework remains for the most part imbued with an atmosphere now dark, now mysterious.” Words fitting for this extraordinary work, superbly delivered at ROF. 
Radio Broadcast, August 9th, 2009 Premiere LTD, 3895-3   
*Back Story:  The setting is the island of Lesbos. The king, Polidoro has ruled happily for many years, loved by his daughter, Zelmira and her husband, the Trojan prince Ilo. While the prince is off to war, Azorre, Lord of Mitylene, invades the island ready to kill Polidoro because he refused to give his daughter in marriage to Azorre.

Zelmira hides her father in a crypt and, making Azorre believe she hates her father, she lies as to his whereabouts causing Azorre to burn down the wrong hiding place.  Azorre’s satisfaction is short-lived because another usurper, Antenore kills him hoping to become ruler of Lesbos and Mitylene with the help of his accomplice, Leucippo. This is where the opera begins.
The story of the opera: Outside the city’s walls, Mitylene’s warriors are mourning the death of Azorre. While Leucippo proclaims Antenore as Azorre’s successor, both men plot to make Antenore king.  
Antenore and Leucippo blame Zelmira for the death of both rulers. Zelmira, who now has a small son, tries to convince her friend, Emma that this is not true by taking her to Polidoro’s hiding place. With Emma looking on, Zelmira and Polidoro comfort each other. 
Ilo returns victorious from the wars anxious to see his wife and child. Zelmira, upset over what has happened to her, has difficulty in telling Ilo the truth. For this reason, Antenore and Leucippo find it easy to convince Ilo of Zelmira’s guilt. Zelmira gives Emma her son for safe keeping and Antenore is crowned king. 
Ilo, who is very anxious about his son’s safety, collapses. Leucippo enters and tries to stab him. Zelmira intervenes and throws herself at Leucippo who quickly lets her get possession of the dagger. This way he convinces Ilo that not only is Zelmira guilty of murdering Polidoro and Azorre, but is trying to kill him also. Despite Zelmira’s objections, she is led off to prison.
Leucippo has intercepted Zelmira’s letter to Ilo in which she explains her innocence. Now he and Antenore realize that Polidoro is still alive. They set her free hoping she will lead them to her father. 
While Ilo is wandering around outside the walls of Lesbos, he comes across Polidoro who reveals to the prince what really has happened. They warmly embrace and Polidoro returns to his tomb to await his freedom. Ilo runs off to find his wife. 
Zelmira is now free thinking Ilo is responsible. Leucippo and Antenore come upon Zelmira while she is discussing the situation with Emma. Thinking that Ilo knows the truth, the two men reveal themselves and tell Zelmira Ilo has freed Polidoro and trick Zelmira in revealing her father’s hiding place. The unhappy woman offers her life in place of her father’s. Emma runs off to find Ilo and tell him that Antenore plans to kill his wife and her father. As the two wicked men plan to strike, battle cries are heard, Zelmira grabs the knife trying to defend her father. Ilo rushes in, brandishing his sword  and his soldiers take Antenore and Leucippo away as Emma returns with Zelmira and Ilo’s son. All rejoice now that Zelmira is re-united with her loved ones.
The summary above was adapted from the ROF program.   



Ewa Podles makes a Haydn Concert an Event
Administrator — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 19:31:01 +0000
Podles receiving an enthusiastic ovation for Arianna A Naxos. © Amati Bacciardi.
This summer Ewa Podles returned to ROF after an absence of eight years. Why so long between engagements? Well, that’s how long it has taken ROF and Madame Podles to settle their differences. It seems that while the Polish contralto was performing in Le Nozze di Teti e di Peleo in 2001, she had some unkind words  to say about the working conditions during her stay at that time. Her comments  didn’t strike me as being unreasonable, but still offense was taken. Finally this year ROF and Podles have buried the hatchet, and her recital at the Concerto Sinfonico, marking the bicentennial of Franz Joseph Haydn’s death, was the vehicle for her return. 
And what an outstanding occasion it was for Madame Podles and the audience who attended the concert at 11:00 a.m. on August 16th. 
The headline in Claudio Salvi’s newspaper review of the concert in El Resto del Carlino stated unequivocally the diva received 20 minutes of applause for her performance. If the headline struck one to be an exaggeration, rest assured it was not. 
Podles was received enthusiastically by the audience as she stepped out onto the stage of the Teatro Rossini, but  it was nothing compared to the thunderous ovation  she received after her dramatic reading of Haydn’s cantata, Arianna A Naxos in the orchestral version. One reason for her outstanding performance was that it was a true meeting of artistic minds with the Orchestra Haydn Di Bolzano E Trento conducted by Podles’ compatriot Lukasz Borowicz.



Perhaps it was the excitement of the moment, coupled with wanting to put any unpleasantness behind her, that propelled Podles to arrive in top vocal form.  From the first opening lines, “Tesoro mio ben! Ove sei? Ove sei tu?,” when Arianna longs for her beloved, Theseus, through to “Ma a chi parlo?,” the moment Arianna realizes Theseus will not come to her, and finally her inconsolable grief expressed as “Misera abbandonata,” Podles gripped the text with such complete vocal force it filled the entire house. And the force was so rich in color, full-toned and searing with emotion, it seemed to wash over every soul there, producing the frenzy that every opera-goer dreams of showering on a great performance. 
The ovation continues for Ewa Podles. © Amati Bacciardi.
Naturally after such an enthusiastic reception, Podles agreed to an encore. She stepped out of the classical Haydn into the aria, Cruda sorte! from Rossini’s Italiana in Algeri. It took Podles only a few measures for her to fashion an Isabella filled with good humor, presenting a woman who understands that while men can be foolish romantics, she still loves having them around. Just standing in place, Podles acted out the part with complete vocal assurance and total understanding of Isabella’s savvy nature, the audience again fell captive to the singer’s penetrating artistry. 
It looked as if Podles’ performance might overshadow the musical accomplishments of the Orchestra Haydn Di Bolzano and Borowicz, but to everyone’s delight this did not happen. 
According to the program notes, Borowicz’s career has mostly been confined to Eastern Europe, and if he had only recently met up with one of ROF’s favorite orchestras, their work together appeared as if they have been in tune with each other for a very long time. 
The concert opened with  a warm, smoothly-executed  rendition of Haydn’s Symphony in G Major, Hob 1.27, marked Allegro, Andante and Finale: presto.  It was apparent from the start that Borowicz and the orchestra were having a wonderful time with the piece and, of course, with the marvelous acoustics in the Teatro Rossini, the strings seemed to sing through the house. After, Podles’ Arianna, the orchestra closed with another Haydn G Major Symphony, this time Hob.1.88. Here, Borowicz and the orchestra sailed through the work marked Adagio-allegro, Largo, Minutetto and Finale: allegro con spirito with such musical brio, the heartfelt ovation they received just swept over their smiling  faces. The concert had a new name: “Josef Haydn in Sunny Italy.”



Advertise with Living at the Opera
Administrator — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 19:04:17 +0000


For more information, please contact Nick at nick@livingattheopera.com or Marisa at bigmari11@gmail.com.



The Opera Theater’s 2009/10 Season
Administrator — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 19:15:49 +0000

UA Opera Theatre with the Arizona Symphony Orchestra

The Crucible, by Robert Ward

November 20, Friday, 7:30 p.m.

November 22, Sunday, 3:00 p.m.

Crowder Hall, $15, 12, 10	


Opera Scenes

Student Soloists

December 1, Tuesday, 7:30 p.m.

Crowder Hall,


Amelia Rieman Opera Competition

Student Competition

January 31, Sunday, 2:00 p.m.

Crowder Hall, $Free


UA Opera Theatre with the Arizona Symphony Orchestra

Il Matrimonio Segreto, by Domenico Cimarosa

April 8-10, Thursday-Saturday, 7:30 p.m.

April 11, Sunday, 3:00 p.m.

Crowder Hall, $15, 12, 10


Opera Scenes

Student Soloists

May 4, Tuesday, 7:30 p.m.

Crowder Hall,




Commentary on Joyce Di Donato’s ‘Malibran’ Concert at the Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro on August 19th, 2008
Administrator — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 19:47:07 +0000


Di Donato being greeted by the audience at the Rossini Theater in Pesaro on August 19th, 2008.
Interview With Joyce Di Donato
Q. Why did you decide to do a concert in Pesaro this summer?
I was asked by Maestro Zedda if I would come to give a tribute concert to Maria Malibran in honor of her bicentenial, and the timing worked out perfectly for my schedule, so I jumped at the chance to return to this very special festival where I debuted 5 years earlier.
Q. Why did you select the pieces you performed?
They were all chosen from repertoire that Maria had sung over the course of her career, and I knew that I wanted to feature the Romeo from Capuleti in the second half, as well as Desdemona’s grand willow song. The Mozart were just a delight to program, and the Una Voce was sort of a “must sing”!
Q. Is Rossini’s Desdemona one of the new roles you are preparing? What roles were you working on in Pesaro?
I don’t have plans as of yet to perform Desdemona (not enough months in the year!), but it is an aria that I have long aspired to sing, and this was the perfect opportunity. I was heavy into preparation for my first Elvira for the Royal Opera House (which just opened last night!).  I was arriving to a very short rehearsal period, and since this was a new role, I knew I needed to be overly well prepared, so my days were spent with Mozart instead of at the beach, sadly!


Q. What key did you sing in for the mezzo Desdemona? What key is it in for a soprano?
I sang in the original key, as I don’t believe there is a difference.
Q. Did I hear you say that Malibran did not sing Susanna’s aria? If so, why did you include it?
No, she did perform Susanna – my comment was that I doubt she performed both her and Cherubino in the same evening!
Q. How did it come about that you sang with Amanda Forsythe? Did you work with her previously?
Maestro Zedda suggested her, and I was happy to accept his recommendation, but then we ended up working together in “Ariodante” in Geneva last fall, and as soon as I heard her Dalinda, I knew she would be a lovely Giulietta.
Q. How did you find the rehearsals for the concert?  Was it a pleasant experience? How much time did you and Forsythe devote to rehearsal? I just read in an article that you are married to Leonardo Vordoni? How is it working with someone so close? 
We had a 2 hour piano rehearsal where things came together very easily, as she was extremely well prepared. And yes, “The Maestro” and I are married, and it was a delight to be able to make music together.
Q. How was the working situation in Pesaro? How different is it from working for other theaters?
It’s actually quite lovely – I think the main difference is that the beach is so close! But the atmosphere is a lovely combination of very serious work and a near “vacation” feeling, so everyone is mostly relaxed and enjoying great food and sun!
Q. During your talk, you refered to a gentleman in the upper box, who is he and what is his position?
This was Maestro Alberto Zedda – the great Rossini conductor and founder of the Rossini Festival. He has been a big champion of mine, we have recorded “Cenerentola” together, and I’m very grateful for his contribution to the world of opera.
Q. What is your overall impression of Pesaro and do you plan to return?
I love being in Pesaro and it has many special memories for me – I would love to return, but these days, the problem is always one of the calendar, so we will have to see how the next few years shape up. Sadly, there is not enough time to do it all!
Q. Considering the length and depth of your program, I think the audience did not expect an encore. Where did you find the strength to sing the Rondo from La Cenerentola? The response was lovely to hear!
I’m not entirely sure where I found the strength, as I was quite exhausted at the end of the program. But I had a feeling that the audience would appreciate it quite a lot, and because it’s a role that is very engrained in my body/voice, it carried me through. I got a bit lucky, I think!


Di Donato as Romeo in V. Bellini’s I Capuleti e i Montecchi with conductor Leonardo Vordoni and Orchestra Haydn Di Bolzano E Trento.
Commentary on Joyce Di Donato’s ‘Malibran’ Concert at the Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro on August 19th, 2008
When mezzo-soprano Joyce Di Donato travelled to Pesaro to celebrate the bicentennial of Maria Malibran’s birth at the Rossini Opera Festival, she brought with her a suitcase stuffed with artistic goodies. Invited personally by ROF’s Artistic Director Alberto Zedda, Di Donato had prepared a program of arias and scenes that  Malibran performed for her public before her tragic death at the age of 28. Di Donato, blessed with an inviting and creamy lyrical voice and a prodigious technique, seemed to conjure up Malibran’s ghost with a natural stage presence which totally captivated her audience. Hers was a performance to which opera lovers gladly succumbed.  
Di Donato offered a generous program.  She started with Cherubino’s two arias and Susanna’s recitative and aria from Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro. For the Rossini section, Di Donato gave a poignant account of Desdemona’s Canzone del Salice and Preghiera from his Otello and a lively Una voce poco fa from his Barbiere. Then for her final section, she turned to V. Bellini’s I Capuleti e i Montecchi singing Romeo’s Cavatina, Se Romeo t’uccise un figlio, followed by the love duet, Si, fuggire, and the Second Act finale with soprano Amanda Forsythe.  Taken with the moment, Di Donato gave a delightful rendition of Angelina’s Rondo from Rossini’s La Cenerentola as an encore. 
Di Donato, an artist who is at the top of her game, dismissed any concerns about the program’s length, and dove in with skillful exuberance. This combination of passion and craft reached a most gratifying level in the Rossini and Bellini sections.
Di Donato imbued Desdemona’s Willow Song and Prayer with such vocal pathos, it seemed to carry the young girl’s transition from youthful naivete to tragic reality in one remorseful breath showing Rossini’s music at its most sorrowful.  
But it was Di Donato’s three scenes from I Capuleti that brought the audience into that Bel Canto world where Bellini and his librettist Felice Romani lived their lives to the fullest. With great assist from conductor Leonardo Vordoni, Forsythe’s Julliet, Coro Da Camera Di Praga and Orchestra Haydn Di Bolzano e Trento, Di Donato created operatic scenes filled with great beauty and artistic honesty. Of course, Di Donato and her forces had plenty of help in conveying these moments. Leslie Orrey in his book Bellini, says that, “Romani’s book is logical and compact and…it is lyrically expansive enough to provide the composer with the opportunities he needs for his music to soar.” In Romeo’s Cavatina, mentioned above, the mezzo immediately established her character’s persona, looking every bit the boyish lover in her black trousers and a vest over a white shirt and gray tie.
As Di Donato began the love duet with Forsythe, she easily connected Romeo’s love with Giulietta’s awakening pangs of desire.  Forsythe proved an admirable partner, her clear and textured vocal expression matching Di Donato’s supple and plangent sound.
For Romeo and Giulietta’s death scene, Vordoni and his orchestra created an exquisite symmetry that heightened Bellini’s elongated musical sadness and Romani’s auguished text while Di Donato and Forsythe were scaling down their performances to fit the recital setting.  A heart stopping moment broken only by the audience’s timely affectionate outburst.  

Photos courtesy of Studio Amati Bacciardi.